Democratic Party chair lauds president's European tour diplomacy as leadership race heats up; party convention committee meeting set for June 24

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung pose for a photo with attendees following a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy, on Sunday (local time). [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung pose for a photo with attendees following a special Mass celebrated by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy, on Sunday (local time). [Yonhap]

As political circles interpret a public message from President Lee Jae Myung — currently on a European tour — as a rebuke aimed at Democratic Party of Korea Chairman Jung Chung-rae and hardliners within the ruling party, the contest for the party's next leadership is expected to surface this week. Jung, who has remained silent on whether he will seek a second term or step down, said Monday that Lee's diplomatic performance had established him as a "world-class global leader," offering an upbeat assessment of the president's overseas trip.

Speaking at a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly that morning, Jung said he was "proud as a citizen" that Lee had earned recognition for South Korea's standing abroad.

He recalled hearing a similar sentiment from many voters during the local elections. "When former President Yoon Suk Yeol went abroad, people felt anxious every time," Jung said. "With President Lee, people feel a sense of anticipation." He added that the Lee administration was "boldly opening the path to peace on the Korean Peninsula by carrying forward the spirit of the June 15 inter-Korean joint declaration," and was demonstrating how peace could transform people's lives.

On Saturday (local time), Lee posted a message on X, formerly Twitter, titled "The ruling party, the opposition, and political responsibility," writing that "the ruling party's passion must be directed not at 'our camp' but at 'the entire public.'" He added that the party should play the role of a "big tent," managing conflict and minimizing backlash "through constant dialogue and communication rather than confrontation and exclusion."

Political observers have widely read the post as a signal directed at Jung, who has been weighing a bid for a second term while championing a hard line — including the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative powers. With Jung facing calls to resign from some within the party, observers expect him to announce his position as early as this week if he decides to seek re-election. A Supreme Council meeting to discuss the formation of a preparatory committee for the next party convention is scheduled for June 24.

While Jung stays silent, potential successors are raising their profiles. Rep. Song Young-gil, who returned to the National Assembly after winning a by-election, plans to visit the late former President Roh Moo-hyun's grave site in Bongha Village in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on Wednesday, before traveling to Pyeongsan Village in Yangsan to call on former President Moon Jae-in.

Political circles interpret the visit as a sign that Song has made up his mind to run in the party convention expected in August. Song told a reporter by phone Monday that the trip was "a courtesy call to return to the Assembly as the party's most senior lawmaker by terms served." He said he had also met former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun, former Assembly Speaker Moon Hee-sang and Jeong Dae-cheol, chairman of the Korean Constitutional Government Society. "The party needs to be unified," he said.

Rep. Kim Yong-min also signaled a possible run for party leader, telling MBC Radio on Monday that he was "genuinely considering" a bid. The previous day, he had posted a piece on Facebook titled "The role of the party leader," laying out "liquidating the insurrection and achieving sweeping social reform" as key tasks — a move widely seen as a declaration of intent.

Kim also took a direct swipe at Jung, saying the chairman "should be held to the same standard" as others judged on the local election results. "He will not be able to confidently answer whether he has done enough on the tasks I just mentioned over the past year," Kim said.


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